


Amnesia and Oreos

by Myoneloveismusic



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU
Genre: Amnesia fic, M/M, Tim sticks to Jason's side, amnesia!Tim, gratuitous consumption of oreos, lots of kisses and cuddles, minor photography, slight angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-15
Updated: 2018-09-06
Packaged: 2019-06-27 15:28:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 20,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15688236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Myoneloveismusic/pseuds/Myoneloveismusic
Summary: After finding Tim in an alley in the middle of his patrol, Jason took him back to his apartment to learn he had gotten amnesia. Tim latched onto Jason when he was taken back to the Manor because his presence was the most familiar, causing them to grow closer in stunning contrast to their previous relationship. Jason was worried what would happen when Tim got his memories back and if things could stay the same or if Tim would push him away again once he regained his memories. Tim was more optimistic...until he wasn't and both of them fought to keep what they really wanted.~~Originally posted as part of my Write 365 series on Tumblr.





	1. Chapter 1

Jason whistled, one hand buried in the pocket of his leather jacket as a plastic bag holding a package of oreos swung from the tips of the fingers of his other. He was tired after a long day and only had a few hours to relax and decompress before he’d have to go back out on patrol and he wasn’t going to waste any time breaking into his package of goodies. 

He swung around the corner to his apartment and climbed noiselessly up the fire escape. He pushed through the window of his place and immediately flopped down on the couch. He flicked on the T.V. and propped his boots up on the T.V., pulling the oreos from the plastic bag and ripping back the top of the package before pulling one of the cookies free. 

He chomped down on the cookie, humming at the familiar taste of the chocolate cookies and the vanilla cream as he flipped through the channels looking for something to watch. 

~~

Jason swung through the air and landed heavily on the opposite building, taking the time to reel in his line as he listened to the city around him. The night had been relatively quiet, but for him those were always the worst nights. It meant something much, much worse was on its way even if he didn’t know what it was. 

He heard a groan and furrowed his brow. He clipped his grapple gun to his belt before hurrying over to the edge of the building to look into the alley below. He saw someone clutching their head and using the brick wall of the building to keep their balance. 

Jason squinted against the darkness and recognized the shape of a cape coming off their shoulders. He jumped from the roof ledge and landed with a thump below. 

The figure flinched back with a gasp, whirling to face him with what Jason would assume would be wide eyes. 

“Red Robin?” Jason asked, furrowing his brow. “What happened to you?” 

He looked from side to side, not answering right away. 

“Hey,” Jason said, taking a step forward. 

He flinched back again and Jason held up his hands, in the hopes that Tim would understand the universal sign for ‘I’m not here to hurt you.’ 

“Woah, woah,” he said, keeping his voice low and soft. “It’s okay. Did you get hit with something?” 

“I-I dunno,” he said, feeling his way along the wall towards the alley entrance. “I don’t know what happened. I can’t remember.” 

“So Scarecrow didn’t get you with fear gas?” 

“Scare…crow?” Tim asked. 

“Yes,” Jason said, nodding. 

“Who’s that?” 

Jason swallowed, blood turning cold. “Shit,” he hissed. 

“What?” Tim asked, looking around. “What’s wrong?” 

“You have no idea who I am, do you?” he asked. 

Slowly, Tim’s head turned back to face him. He shook his head. 

“Do you know who you are?” he asked. 

Tim shook his head again. 

“Fuck,” Jason said, dropping his hands. “Okay, I’m going to need you to trust me.” 

“Why should I trust you?” Tim asked, pressing further back. “I don’t even know who you are.”

Jason huffed and looked towards the end of the alley. He couldn’t see anyone out on the street and all of the windows above them were dark. He undid the latches on his helmet and held it between his hands, not ready to pull if off yet. 

“I’m not going to hurt you. I promise.” He slowly pulled off his helmet and shook out his flattened hair. “My name’s Jason. We’ve known each other for a few years, okay?” 

“Jason?” Tim asked. 

He nodded. “Yes, I’m Jason. And I can help you get better. If you got hit with some sort of tech or magic, Batman can help reverse it so you remember who you are?” 

“Batman?” Tim asked. 

Jason scrubbed a hand over his face. “You really don’t remember anything do you?” 

“No,” Tim mumbled softly, sounding regretful like it was his fault he’d lost his memory. 

Jason held out his hand. “Can you trust me, Tim? I can take you somewhere safe and maybe we can help you get some of your memories back.” 

“I shouldn’t trust you,” Tim said, the fingers of his hand twitching where they were still pressed against the brick. 

“But…?” Jason asked. 

Tim bit his lip before reaching out and placing his hand in Jason’s.


	2. Chapter 2

Tim looked around Jason’s apartment as Jason slipped through the window behind him. The half-eaten package of oreos was still sitting on the coffee table, but everything else was in pretty neat shape. 

“You can take off your cowl now that we’re inside,” Jason said, pulling off his helmet again. “No one’s going to see you up here.” 

Tim carefully pulled the mask from his face and left it to dangle at the back of his head. Now that he wasn’t staring at the white lenses of the cowl, Jason could see the clarity in Tim’s eyes despite the lack of recognition for his surroundings.

“The bathroom’s down the hallway if you need it. I can grab you a change of clothes if you want to get out of the uniform or take a shower and you’re welcome to anything in the kitchen. I’m going to call up Batman and see if he can come help, okay?” Jason asked. 

Tim tangled his fingers together and fidgeted even as he nodded. “Do you…do you think I could get that change of clothes? I’d rather get out of this,” he said, fiddling with the edge of his cape. 

Jason nodded and moved towards his bedroom. “Sure. You can wait here if you want,” he said over his shoulder as he moved down the hallway.

He set his helmet down on his dresser as he rifled through his things to find the smallest pair of sweats he had and the most form fitting shirt. He figured they’d still be pretty baggy on Tim, but it would be better than having to sit around in tight spandex. 

He returned to the living room and handed the clothes to Tim. “That’s the smallest stuff I could find so it still might be a little big on you. The bathroom’s on the left if you want to go get changed.” 

Tim nodded and slipped past him, keeping his head down and hugging the clothes tightly to his chest. Jason waited for the sound of the door to shut before he moved back to his bedroom. He pressed the comm link in his ear and listened to the series of electronic beeps. As he waited for Bruce to pick up, he grabbed his own change of clothes and started to strip out of his uniform. 

“Batman,” Bruce answered. 

“Hey, B, I’ve got a bit of a situation,” Jason said as he shoved his cargo pants down around his ankles. 

“Where are you?” 

“In my apartment actually. I found Red Robin looking pretty disoriented. Seems he’s got amnesia and doesn’t remember anything.” 

“Is it magic or tech?” 

“That I’m not sure about. I think it might be magic since he seems pretty clear-headed, but he doesn’t remember me or you and I don’t think he even knew his own name.” 

“I’ll see if I can grab Zatanna and we can stop by after patrol. Don’t let him leave.” 

Jason rolled his eyes as he tied off the strings to his sweats at his waist. He heard the bathroom door open and leaned backwards to look through his open bedroom doorway. He watched as Tim shuffled out the door and back towards the living room, shoulders hunched and looked incredibly uncomfortable. 

“Don’t worry. I don’t think that’s going to be a problem,” Jason said. “Just get here as soon as you can.” 

“Batman, out.” 

“Geez,” he grumbled, pulling the comm from his ear and setting it next to his helmet. He grabbed his shirt and slipped his arms through the sleeves as he walked back towards the living room. He rounded the corner as his head slipped through the neck of the shirt and he caught sight of Tim as he shook out his hair. 

Tim had frozen, oreo halfway to his mouth and eyes locked on him. Jason pulled down the hem of his shirt and he smiled. 

“So…you like oreos?” he asked. 

Tim startled and bit down on the cookie. He nodded even as a chocolate cookie crumb stuck to the side of his mouth. 

“They’re my favorite,” Jason said as he walked towards the kitchen. “You want anything to drink? Maybe some milk to go with those cookies?” 

He heard a muffled choking noise and furrowed his brow, looking over his shoulder at Tim’s hunched form. 

“You okay?” 

Tim glanced over his shoulder and gave him a thumbs up.

“Okayyyy,” Jason said. He turned back to the fridge and shook his head. “Weird kid,” he muttered under his breath as he pulled the door to the fridge open and bent down to look at what he had inside.


	3. Chapter 3

Jason and Tim were seated on the opposite ends of the couch by the time Bruce showed up in full Batman glory. Tim flinched back at his appearance, unconsciously moving away from him and towards the end of the couch where Jason had been slumped down into the cushions, feet propped up on the coffee table. 

Jason straightened. “So you finally made it,” he sighed, dropping his feet to the floor so he could sit forward. 

“We did,” Zatanna said, slipping in behind Bruce. “Sorry we took so long.” 

Jason waved it off. “Don’t worry about it. Tim’s been pretty calm since we got here.” 

“I’m right here,” Tim muttered under his breath. 

Jason chuckled and gave him a smile where he was still pressing himself into the couch cushions. “Sorry, I thought you were busy making yourself one with my couch.” 

Tim pouted and Jason waved at him. 

“Well,” he said. “Have at it.” 

Bruce stayed back while Zatanna moved forward and took a seat on the edge of the coffee table. 

“Hi Tim,” she said with a soft smile. “I’m Zatanna.” 

“Um…okay.” 

“I’m a magician and I’m going to see what caused your amnesia okay? You’re not going to feel anything, but I’m going to mutter in a language you don’t understand and my hands are probably going to start glowing. Is that okay?” 

Tim swallowed, but didn’t make any move to relax. “Sure,” he said tightly. 

Zatanna gave him another smile before sitting back and raising her hands. She started muttering something low under her breath, gloves turning blue where they were raised in the air. Jason propped his cheek against his fist and listened to what she was saying while keeping an eye on Tim. He was still looking anxious and tense, but he wasn’t running away. 

Jason glanced over to the corner at where Bruce was standing and watching what was going on. His cowl was still up and from what Jason could see of his expression it was stony. Jason wasn’t sure if it was out of worry or annoyance and he didn’t care too much to try and figure it out. 

Zatanna fell silent and the glowing stopped. She lowered her hands to her lap, lips pursed. “Hmm…” she said. 

“What’s the verdict?” Jason asked. 

“It’s…strange,” she said. “You’re right about it being a clear set of amnesia but I’m not detecting any signs of magic. It seems too perfect to be technologically derived unless someone is hiding some serious firepower we haven’t known about until now.” 

“Is it going to wear off on its own?” Jason asked. 

“I’d say it would have to. Since I can’t detect any magic, I can’t begin to undo it. Unless it’s a supremely powerful magician, the magic would loosen and wear off in time and I’m under the impression the same would happen with a piece of tech?” she asked turning to Bruce who nodded. 

“So we either wait for it to wear off or if it was tech, track down whoever made it and get them to reverse it to fix it sooner.” 

Zatanna nodded. “Unfortunately those are the only options.” 

“Sorry, Tim,” Jason said, glancing at him. “Looks like we can’t do much to help.”

Tim shrugged awkwardly. “It’s okay, I guess…” 

Bruce stepped forward. “We should get him to the Manor.” 

“Wait, what?” Tim asked. “What makes you think I want to go anywhere with you?” 

Jason had to hide a smile behind his hand even as Bruce stopped short. 

“It’ll be safe there…” 

“Yeah except I don’t know anything about you,” he shot back. “I’m still alive after a few hours here so I trust this place more than I would wherever you take me.” 

“Jason,” Bruce sighed. 

“Don’t look at me. I’m not gonna force Tim to do something he doesn’t want to. He can stay here if he wants. I’ve got plenty of space.” 

“We don’t know what could happen. We should monitor him,” Bruce started. 

Jason rolled his eyes and crossed his arms with a huff. 

“Tim, what if Jason were to come with us?” he asked, turning back to Tim. 

Tim looked surprised and blinked. He looked sideways at Jason. “I guess…that would be okay.” 

“Jason get packed and get to the Manor with Tim. I’ll tell Alfred to prepare your rooms.” 

Jason groaned and rubbed a hand over his face as Bruce disappeared through the window, Zatanna offering a supportive smile as she followed after him. 

“So…” Tim started in their absence. “Is he like…a furry or what?” 

Jason barked a laugh earning a small smile from Tim. He thought this might not be too bad.


	4. Chapter 4

“You might want to put your arms around me,” Jason said as he revved the engine of his bike and released the kickstand. He felt Tim slide along the seat with the motion, but it was another moment before tentative arms wrapped loosely around his stomach. 

Jason rolled his eyes underneath the bike helmet and lifted his foot from the ground as they lurched forward and into the street. A car honked next to them as Jason swerved too close and Jason raised a hand in acknowledgement, not that he was sorry. 

He thought he heard a noise come from behind him, but if there was one, it was lost to the wind. All he knew was that the grip around his stomach went from loose to steel-tight as Tim pressed against his back, helmet digging into the space between Jason’s shoulder blades. 

Jason smirked and revved the engine again before speeding up and weaving through the cars in the streets. He took a sharp turn, leaning into it and feeling where Tim was pressed into his back. He doubted he had his eyes open, but that didn’t matter much. Tim probably wouldn’t be able to see much of the city anyway, not when they were quickly reaching the outer limits that would take them to the Manor. 

He finally felt Tim’s grip listen around his stomach when they passed the last of the larger skyscrapers and the cityscape fell away to reveal something greener and more refreshing. If it was even possible to find something like that in Gotham. 

The pressure against Jason’s back lightened and he slowed his bike slightly, giving Tim a chance to look at their surroundings as they moved towards the wealthier neighborhood and bigger houses. 

They pulled up to the front doors of the Manor, coasting around the fountain until they came to a stop. Jason killed the engine and put the kickstand back in place. The front doors were pulled open and Alfred stepped through. 

“Ah, Master Jason and Master Timothy. Master Bruce said we’d be expecting you.” 

“Morning Alfred,” Jason said, pulling off his helmet. “Sorry for the early hour.” 

“With the lifestyle we all keep, I’m not so sure what an early hour is anymore.” 

Jason chuckled and nudged Tim who was staring up at the Manor in front of them. Tim startled and moved backwards, climbing off the bike awkwardly as he held his helmet tightly between his hands. Jason swung his leg over the bike and took the helmet from Tim’s hands, stowing it with his own under the bike seat. 

“Would you like to move your bike into the garage, Master Jason?” Alfred asked. 

“Later, Alfred. It’ll be fine out here for now,” he said, swinging his backpack over his shoulder. “I think it’s best if we get settled in first.” 

“Of course, Master Jason,” Alfred said with a small bow. “I’ve prepared both yours and Master Timothy’s rooms.”

“Thanks, Al. I can take if from here,” Jason said, jogging up the steps even as Tim stayed close to him. 

“Of course, Master Jason. If you need anything I will be in the kitchen preparing breakfast.” 

Alfred turned on his heel and disappeared into the Manor. Jason dropped an arm around Tim’s shoulders, making him flinch. 

“Let’s get you up to your room, then, shall we?” he asked. 

“Uh, sure…” Tim said. 

Jason directed him through the foyer and walked him up the stairs to the second floor. They passed a few doors before Jason stopped and pushed the door to Tim’s room open. 

“This is yours,” he said, giving Tim a little push into the room. Tim stumbled and looked around, taking in the books and papers scattered on the desk, the bits of tech, and the photographs hanging on the walls. 

“This is mine?” he asked. 

“Yup,” Jason said. “My room is two doors to the right,” he said, pointing down the hallway. “If you need anything you can find me there, but I’m going to drop my stuff off. Feel free to go explore the Manor and relearn the place,” 

Tim watched him go before turning back to the space around him and the belongings that were decidedly unfamiliar.


	5. Chapter 5

Tim stepped further into his room, footsteps muffled on the plush carpet. Despite the mess surrounding practically ever other surface, the bed was made in pristine condition, crisp sheets flat against the mattress. 

He walked over to the desk and picked up random bits of machine and tech, turning them over in his hands, but not recognizing where they even began to fit together. The pages spread over the desk had scribbled calculations and descriptions, most of which made no sense to him. 

He looked up over the walls and shelves. There were several photo albums on the shelves above the desk and a few small polaroids taped to the wall. He squinted and looked at the unfamiliar faces. He recognized Jason scowling in a few of them, but his eyes widened when he got to a photo tapped off to the corner and partially obscured by a piece of paper taped to the wall. He lifted the paper out of the way and found a photo of Jason looking off into the distance with a small smile pulling at his lips. 

Tim pulled the picture from the wall and stared at it. Jason had been kind to him since he’d known him and he knew he was brash, but he never would’ve expected Jason to look so soft and open. He wondered how he managed to get the picture in the first place. 

He stuck it back behind the piece of paper, concealing it as best he could. He’d try to find a better place for it later after he looked around the rest of his room. He pulled the first photo album from the shelf and started to slip through it, pausing to look at the black and white photo spreads. 

The first few were of the Gotham cityscape and Tim was amazed by the clarity of the pictures and the details captured. A few pages later he got to action shots of two masked figures. One of them was a full-grown man and the other was a child. The man looked to be dressed in all black and had a cowl pulled over his head. The little Tim could see of his face wore a stern expression and seemed serious and he belatedly realized he was looking at an old picture of Batman.

The boy had a bright smile on his face, bare legs at the mercy of the Gotham air. His boot covered feet were kicked out in front of him and he looked to be having the time of his life. Tim had no idea who he was supposed to be. 

He flipped further through the book and found more and more pictures of the same pair in various positions. Sometimes they were flying across the buildings of Gotham, together or alone. Other times they were engaged in fights with criminals. The boy always seemed to be happy with what he was doing. The contrast between him and Batman always surprised Tim. 

He replaced the first book and grabbed the second, opening to the first page to the same pair, but Tim paused. There was something different about this boy than the previous one. He looked smaller, more stout. Something had changed, but Tim didn’t know what. 

The second album was more focused on the figure of the child and what he was doing. Even the photos of the pair were centered around the small boy. Tim wished he knew why that was or what had changed. He flipped the cover closed and slipped it back on the shelf. He’d have time to go through the rest of the pictures later. 

He walked over to the closet and pulled the doors open. The clothes were hung evenly on the hangers, but the shoes had been kicked inside onto the floor in a haphazard mess. He pushed the clothes out of the way to look over the shelves nestled within. 

He gave a quick glance over the spandex suits hanging up, but he resolved to not think about that at the moment. He was already overwhelmed enough as it was. He found a camera bag tucked away among other boxes of tech and old broken things. 

Tim ignored the boxes in favor of the camera and pulled it free, turning it over in his hands. He set it on the desk and undid the zipper. The camera inside looked nice and well-kept. It was obviously something that was cherished by him. He pulled it free and pressed the power button, taking off the lens cap and looking through the viewfinder.

He twisted the lens, zooming in and out on the things on his desk to get a feel for it. It strangely didn’t feel quite so unfamiliar in his hands. He pulled the camera away from his eye and looked over at it, thinking he could give it a try later and take some photos if he had time. 

He powered down the camera and put the lens cap back on, placing it gently back into the bag and securing it inside. 

“Tim!” 

He flinched at the unfamiliar voice and the sudden sound. 

He gasped when arms wrapped tightly around him from behind and he screamed, fighting against the grasp.


	6. Chapter 6

Tim screamed, struggling to break free of the grasp as he kicked his legs in front of him. 

“Wait, Tim! Woah, woah!” the person behind him continued to protest. 

“Tim!”

His terror diminished slightly at the sound of Jason’s voice. 

“Dick, what the fuck are you doing? Let go of him.” 

The arms around him disappeared. A hand wrapped around his bicep and pulled him against a hard chest. Tim looked up and found Jason looking down at him. He finally found himself relaxing, daring a look over his shoulder at the other man who was pouting at Jason. 

“Come on, Timmy. You weren’t lost in thought were you?” he asked, turning to him again. 

Tim flinched back, pressing closer against Jason’s side. He wrapped an arm around his shoulders. 

“He’s got amnesia, Dickwad. He doesn’t remember who you are.” 

“Then why does he get to be so chummy with you?” he accused. 

“Because I found him and he knows who I am, that’s why,” Jason shot back. 

“Come on Tim,” Dick pleaded. “I’m your big brother.” 

Tim stared at him, not making a move to get any closer. Dick’s shoulders sagged. He turned and trudged from the room and Tim peeked around Jason to make sure he was gone. 

“You feeling okay, Tim?” Jason asked. 

He looked up at him and nodded. 

“I was going to head down and watch a movie. Did you want to come with me?” 

Tim nodded again and Jason pulled him from the room. They headed downstairs and Jason set him up on one of the plush couches. 

“Here,” he said, handing him the remote. “You can flip through all the movies we have saved on the T.V. I’m going to grab a snack from the kitchen. You want something to drink?” 

Tim nodded again. 

“Any preferences?” 

He shook his head. 

Jason sighed and walked from the room. Tim watched him go before he started flipping through the titles. He didn’t recognize anything he was seeing so he wasn’t sure which ones were good or not. He tucked his legs underneath him and pulled on the plush blanket that was resting over the back of the couch. 

He wrapped it around his shoulders, eyes darting from one movie still to the next. He finally settled on something that looked fantastical and adventurous. 

“You find anything yet?” Jason asked as he pushed through the door, packages and bottles of drinks loaded into his arms. 

Tim nodded and pointed at the screen. Jason squinted and nodded. 

“Yeah that looks like a good one,” he said. He passed one of the bottles of soda off to Tim. He set a bag of chips on the table in front of them and took the seat next to Tim, balancing a package of oreos in his own lap. He twisted of the cap of his bottle and took a long gulp. 

Tim played the movie and pulled the edges of the blanket tighter around his shoulders. The sound of ripping cellophane was loud next to him and he glanced over at Jason who was opening the oreos. He pulled one out and bit it in half before he held out the cookies to Tim. 

He nodded and reached out of the blanket for a cookie, nibbling on it in the comfort of his blanket. His eyes focused on the screen and he watched as the world within began to unfold and the beginnings of the story came together. 

He felt content and surrounded by warmth, the scare he’d had only moments ago already slipping from his mind. He felt a nudge against him and glanced over at where Jason was holding the oreos out again. His eyes were focused on the movie and he wasn’t looking at Tim. Tim reached out and plucked two more cookies from the plastic tray. He bit into the next one to hide his smile. 

He snuggled deeper into his blanket, content to lose himself in the movie and forget for a moment he was living a life he knew nothing about.


	7. Chapter 7

Jason glanced down at where Tim was asleep on his shoulder. They’d finished their first movie forever ago and started a second one. It hadn’t taken long before Tim was dozing and had slid against his shoulder. Jason had kept still so as not to disturb him and even now that he was sitting in silence with a black screen, he still couldn’t find it in himself to shake Tim awake or even try to carry him to his room. 

He was most surprised that Tim even felt comfortable enough around him to let himself fall asleep. Although, it could be nothing more than his exhaustion catching up with him after the stressful day he’d had. 

“Master Jason.” 

He glanced up and found Alfred in the doorway. 

“Alfred,” he whispered. 

“As loathe as I am sure you are to disturb Master Timothy, I think it would be best if you take him to his room. It is early in the morning and I think it would do both of you good to get a long rest in an actual bed.” 

Jason sighed and glanced down at Tim again. “I suppose you’re right.” 

“Do not worry about the mess here, I can clean it up. You should get to bed, too.” 

“Thank you, Alfred.” Jason turned, careful to keep Tim from jostling against him as he slid his arms underneath his blanket wrapped body. Tim moved easily and Jason was sure that if he didn’t have amnesia, his eyes would be snapping open at the first feeling of movement and he would’ve slammed Jason through the table. 

He held him close as he eased off the couch and walked towards the door and up the stairs. The rest of the house was quiet except for the ticking of one of the clocks, but he didn’t expect anything else from a house full of vigilantes. Dick was probably asleep so he wouldn’t be running through the halls making noise. 

The door to Tim’s room was still open as they’d left it and Jason slipped inside the empty room. He didn’t bother pulled the blanket back since Tim was already wrapped in one. He carefully set Tim down on the bed, making sure his head was resting on the pillow and his limbs weren’t bent in any weird way to cause discomfort. 

Jason took a step back. It took him longer than it should’ve to convince his feet to move and leave the room behind. He shut the door gently behind him and walked down to his room, pushing inside. 

He walked over to his bed and fell face down onto it, groaning into the blanket. Once he was tired of feeling nearly suffocated, he rolled onto his back and splayed his arms out from himself. He halfway wondered how long it would take before Tim would finally remember everything. It would probably be soon. Maybe even once Tim woke up in his bed. 

Jason sighed and moved more fully onto the bed, resting diagonally across it. He turned onto his side and let the exhaustion finally make itself known and pull at him until he gave in and let himself sleep. 

~~ 

Tim stared at Jason’s door. He’d already raised and lowered his hand twice, wanting to knock, but being afraid of disturbing Jason. He sighed and hunched his shoulders, turning away from the door towards the stairs. He stepped down them carefully, afraid one of them would creak loudly and get him in trouble like he was a kid who was sneaking downstairs in the middle of the night for a snack. 

The Manor was so different from the few hours he’d spent in Jason’s apartment. It hadn’t been noisy, but he could still hear the sounds of other people and city life around them instead of feeling like he was cut off from everything. 

He peered down the separate hallways when he’d made it to the bottom of the stairs. He bit his lip, wondering which way would get him to a doorway that led to the grounds. 

“Ah, Master Timothy.” 

Tim jumped and whirled around at the voice. 

Alfred smiled and held up his hands. “My apologies for scaring you. It is not often something like that happens in this household.” 

“It’s, uh…it’s alright,” Tim said, still feeling a little shaky at the surprise. 

“I’m glad to see that you’re up and doing well. Is there something that you need or can I assist with?”

“I was hoping to look around the grounds and wanted to see what was behind the Manor,” he said softly. 

“Ah, of course. Right this way, Master Timothy,” Alfred said walking past him down the hallway he’d originally moved away from. 

Tim hurried after him and kept close to his back. They turned several corners before they reached a back sitting room that had large double doors set into the wall. Alfred pulled one of the doors open and stood to the side. 

“There you are, Master Timothy. Feel free to take as long as you like walking and exploring. These doors will stay unlocked so you are free to return at any time.” 

“Thanks Alfred,” he said, slipping past him and through the door. He heard the door shut behind him and hurried down the steps, only slowing down when he felt he was far enough from the house to avoid any other surprises. 

The grass was soft underneath his feet and the morning dew had long dried. Tim hadn’t checked the time so he wasn’t sure how late into the day it was and the thick clouds and smog covering the sky didn’t offer any help in the matter. 

The grounds were entirely fenced in even as it extended far behind the Manor. Tim could see several gardens and what looked to be benches or swings set towards the back of the property. He let his feet carry him across the grass, taking his time to enjoy the fresh air and the freedom of being outside. It let him forget about his amnesia for a few moments and he felt no more important than a person enjoying a mid-day walk. 

He smiled, hoping he could hold onto the feeling for just a little bit longer.


	8. Chapter 8

Tim smiled as the breeze ruffled his hair. He’d found a bench under some secluded trees. His eyes shot open when he heard a branch break behind him. He sat forward and looked over his shoulder. 

“Sorry,” Jason said, holding up his hands. “You weren’t around the Manor so I wanted to make sure you were doing okay.” 

“Oh,” Tim said. “Yeah, I’m fine. I just wanted to see what was around the grounds, that’s all.” 

Jason nodded. “Find anything interesting? The garden, a bunny, the dead bodies?” 

Tim’s eyes widened and he almost said something if a grin hadn’t pulled at Jason’s lips. 

“You’re kidding?” Tim asked. 

“Yeah,” Jason said, chuckling. He walked around the opposite side of the bench and Tim pulled his legs back, making room for Jason to sit down. He stretched out his legs in front of him and crossed his arms, looking up at the sky. 

Tim stared down at his knees and picked at his jeans. He glanced up at Jason who was still resolutely looking up at the sky. 

“Did you sleep well?” Jason asked, rolling his head to the side to meet Tim’s eyes and he quickly looked away. 

“Yeah,” Tim said. “Thanks…for bringing me to my bed.” 

“No problem,” Jason said. “I thought it would be more comfortable than leaving you on the couch.” 

“It was, thanks.” 

“No need to thank me again,” he chuckled. “Are you hungry? Did you get any breakfast or anything?” 

“No thanks, not hungry,” he mumbled. 

Jason nodded. 

There was silence between them for a minute. 

“You want to see something cool?” he asked, leaning forward. 

“Something cool?” 

Jason nodded and pushed himself from the seat. 

“Come on, it’ll be fun.” 

Tim’s curiosity got the better of him and he swung his legs over the edge of the bench, eagerly following after Jason back to the Manor. They pushed through the back doors and Jason led Tim back through the hallways until they were in a sitting room. 

Jason stopped next to a grandfather clock and leaned next to it. Tim furrowed his brow. 

“What’s this?” he asked. 

Jason smirked and fiddled with the hands of the clock. It swung open to reveal a passage set into the wall that led downwards. 

Tim gaped. “What is that?” he asked. 

“Something cool,” Jason said and slipped inside. “Come on.” 

Tim eagerly followed after him. The stairwell was narrow at first and he braced a hand against the rock as they moved down the steps, his eyes not adjusted to the dim lighting. 

Soon enough, it opened up to reveal a much larger cave. Tim froze and looked over the large computer and training equipment. He could also see what looked to be a plane and several other cars and motorcycles. 

“Woah,” he breathed. 

“See?” Jason said, looking over his shoulder. “I told you it was cool.” 

“What is this place?” he asked. 

“This is the Cave. It’s where Batman works out of,” Jason said, continuing down the steps. 

Tim hurried after him, shoes thumping down the stone steps in his rush to make it to the bottom. He turned in a circle, head tilted upwards as he tried to peer through the darkness to see the top of the cavern. 

“This is huge.” 

“Yup,” Jason said, walking towards the training equipment. “There’s all kinds of information saved on that computer over there. Highly encrypted stuff, but you were always better at that kind of thing than I was. Over there,” he said pointing, “is Dickhead’s circus stuff.” 

“Circus stuff?” 

Jason waved his hand. “Trapeze and shit. Dick’s an acrobat. Grew up in the circus, blah, blah, blah.” 

“Neat. Can I try?” 

Jason froze and looked over his shoulder. “You want to try the trapeze?” 

Tim shrugged, feeling a little self-conscious. “Yeah, kinda.” 

“Uh, okay. I can see if Dick can give you a lesson later.” 

Tim nodded. 

“But for now I want to try something else.” 

Tim followed after him, stepping onto the large blue mat as Jason reached the racks of practice staffs and other equipment. He pulled two staffs free and turned to Tim with a smile, tossing one through the air, making his eyes widen in shock.


	9. Chapter 9

Tim watched in horror as the bo staff got closer and closer to him. He reached out, hoping to somehow catch the slim piece of wood. It smacked into his hand and bounced off before he could get a grip on it. He threw out his other arm, hoping to keep it from clattering to the ground. He fumbled before he managed to get a solid grip on it and pressed it against his chest. 

He looked up and found Jason staring at him with a raised eyebrow. 

“Okayyyy,” he drawled. “Not the start that I was expecting, but maybe things can get better.”

“What do you mean?” Tim asked. “What are we going to do?”

“We’re gonna spar,” he said easily walking closer to Tim on the mat.

“We’re gonna what?” Tim asked. “I don’t know. I can’t…” 

Before he could think of any more excuses, Jason rushed at him. 

Tim’s eyes widened. “Jason!” he screeched as Jason raised his staff over his head and moved to swing it down on his head. Before he could even blink, he felt his own body move to the side and dodge the blow as the staff hit the mat with a dull thump where he’d just been standing. 

Tim swallowed, feeling his heart pound heavily in his chest as Jason turned and looked up at him, straightening from his stance and attack. Tim tightened his grip on the wood staff in his hands as he still held it awkwardly against his chest. 

“Nice,” Jason said. “Looks like you still have some crime fighter in you even without the memory.”

Tim shook his head. “I really…” 

Jason spun the staff in his hand before he caught it in his empty hand, making a small smacking sound. 

Tim swallowed. 

“Come on, Tim. I know you can do it.” His lips pulled into a grin as his feet spread in a wide stance. “ Just grip the staff with your hands further apart.” 

Tim carefully held the staff out in front of him and moved his hands apart. 

“That’s it,” Jason said. “Now I’m going to do another head blow and I want you to block it this time.” 

“Why are you telling me where you’re going to hit?” Tim asked. “Isn’t that counterproductive.” 

“Not when I don’t know how much you’ll actually remember.” 

Without another warning, Jason rushed forward and swung his bo over his head. Tim squeaked and raised the bo over his head, Jason’s staff hitting his and sending a jolt through his arms from the blow. He let out a breath, chest heaving even though he hadn’t done more than dodge and block. 

Jason smiled at him and raised his staff, stepping back. “Good. Glad to see you still have some spunk in you. Now it’s your turn to attack.” 

Tim shifted uneasily on his feet, feeling the weight of the staff in his hands. 

“Just aim for a hit wherever you want,” Jason said. “Head, shoulders, side, legs, take your pick.” 

Tim looked over his form, trying to decide what the best place to attack would be. He settled on Jason’s side and ran forward, movements with his staff awkward as he tried to swing around to hit his side. 

Jason blocked the blow easily, his foot slid out and caught Tim’s foot, offsetting his balance to where he crashed down onto his back on the mat, forcing the air from his lungs. Tim stared up at the cavern ceiling high above him. Jason came into view and grinned. 

“Nice try,” he said. 

“I’m starting to think you’re doing this on purpose,” Tim said as he struggled to sit up. 

“I can’t help but indulge myself when you’d normally be able to beat me,” he chuckled. 

Tim stared. “I’d normally be able to beat you?” he asked, taking Jason’s offered hand to be pulled to his feet. 

“Not every time. Our wins and losses are pretty evenly divided. 

“That’s a low blow, taking advantage then,” Tim said, stepping back from him. “I’m going to remember that one.”

Jason grinned. “Are you now?” 

Tim nodded and spread his feet, trying to mimic what he’d seen Jason do earlier. The staff was still shaky in his grip and he felt awkward, but it was slowly starting to feel more natural. 

Jason raised an eyebrow and Tim stepped forward, swinging the staff towards Jason’s shoulder. He blocked and Tim pulled it back, using the lower half of the staff to aim for Jason’s leg. He was blocked again and Tim narrowed his eyes, determined to land at least one blow. 

“Jason what are you doing?” 

The unfamiliar voice pulled Tim from his thoughts and his foot caught on his other heel as he tried to step forward and he would’ve crashed to the mat if Jason’s hand hadn’t caught him under the stomach. He rolled in the grip until his back was pressed against Jason’s chest. 

Tim looked up and found a stoic man standing at the edge of the mat. His arms were crossed across his chest. 

“We were just having a little fun,” Jason protested. 

“How can you expect Tim to spar when he doesn’t remember anything?” he asked. 

Jason sighed. “He’s fine.” 

“No more sparring,” he said before turning on his heel. 

Jason sighed as they watched him go. 

“Who was that?” Tim asked. 

“Bruce,” Jason grumbled. “Aka Batman.” 

“Oh,” Tim said, voice small. 

He became aware of their position and straightened, Jason’s hold falling away from him. Jason took the staff from his hand and moved over to the racks, hanging them both back up. 

“Guess we’ll have to find something else to do and call this a draw for now,” Jason said, forcing a smile on his face. 

Tim nodded, shivering a little as he noticed the lack of warmth around him and how cold the cavern actually was. _  
_


	10. Chapter 10

Tim shifted from foot to foot, clutching the package of oreos tighter in his grip. He bit his lip and stared at Jason’s closed door. He let out a sigh and raised a hand, ready to knock when the door was pulled open. 

He blinked and stared up at Jason who was looking at him expectantly, eyebrow raised. Tim’s eyes drifted down and found Jason without a shirt. He sucked in a breath at the scars littering Jason’s chest, something twisting uncomfortably in his chest. 

“Oh, sorry,” Jason mumbled, taking notice of his change in demeanor. “I guess I should’ve expected you’d forget about the scars.” He stepped back into his room and pulled open his dresser, throwing a shirt over his head. Even when the fabric came down to cover his skin, Tim couldn’t pull his eyes away, imagining how much pain or how many fights Jason had gotten into to get so many scars. 

As far as Tim knew, Jason was a skilled fighter who’d been ready to knock him on his ass down in the Cave. He couldn’t imagine how Jason could ever lose a fight even though he said Tim was able to win against him when he remembered how to fight. 

“Hey,” Jason said, softly. “Hey, Tim? Are you okay?” He reached out and touched Tim’s arm lightly and he jerked, eyes snapping up to Jason’s face. 

“Sorry, I-sorry,” he said, shoving the package of oreos against Jason’s chest before he turned on his heel and hurried down the hallway. 

“Hey, Tim,” Jason said, following after him. 

Tim wrapped his arms around himself, pushing into his room. 

“Tim, what’s wrong?” Jason asked behind him. 

He didn’t respond, gaze fixed on the floor as he tried to make sense of what he’d seen. 

“Come on, Timmy,” Jason said, voice soft. “You can talk to me. What’s wrong?” His hand was gentle as it came to rest on Tim’s arm. He turned him around, but he didn’t look up. 

“You…your scars…” Tim whispered. “You have so many scars.” 

“It’s part of being a vigilante. We don’t win every fight.” He let out a breath. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed and I’m not sure if I should tell you, but you have scars marking your body, too.” 

Tim hunched his shoulders. “I haven’t looked yet. But you’re such a strong fighter. You’re so strong. How…how did you get so many scars?” 

“Believe it or not, Tim, there are fighters better than me in the world. Bruce is one of them and he’s gotten just as many scars as the rest of us.” 

Tim stepped forward, closing the distance between them. He rested his head against Jason’s chest and shut his eyes. Jason’s arm wrapped around him and pulled him close, hand running up and down Tim’s spine. 

“Are you gonna be okay?” he murmured. 

“I guess…” Tim said. “It was a bit of a shock.” 

Jason patted his back. “Did you need something before you ran off at the sight of my…because of that?” 

Tim’s face heated. “I wanted to apologize. For getting you in trouble with Bruce.” 

Jason’s body shook underneath him as he laughed. “You didn’t get me in trouble. He’s a bit of a hard ass, but that’s not being in trouble, so don’t worry about it. Anyway, how do you know I wasn’t just using your amnesia to get his spandex in a twist?” 

Tim’s stomach turned. “Were you?” he asked. 

“No,” Jason sighed. “No, I wasn’t.” 

“Okay.” 

“Hey, do you want to do something? I’ve got a whole package of oreos I can’t eat on my own. I could sure use some help.” 

Tim laughed and stepped back out of Jason’s hold. He looked up and gave him a smile. “Sure, what were you thinking?” 

“Let’s see…we have endless movies and T.V. options or the latest gaming consoles. We have a fully stocked library and probably a hundred rooms in this place that could be explored.” 

“Games?” Tim asked. 

“Oh, you’re going to love this,” Jason said, grinning pulling at his lips. “Let me just go grab the oreos,” he said, rushing back down to his room. 

Tim stepped into the hallway and Jason didn’t even bother slowing down as he hurried back. He grabbed Tim’s hand and pulled him down the hallway. Tim grinned, laughing as they hurried down the stairs and into the entertainment room they’d been in the other night while watching movies. 

“Go ahead and take a seat,” Jason said, shoving the oreos into his hands. “I’ll get things set up. 

Tim sat cross-legged on the couch and pulled open the oreos, biting one in half as he watched Jason fiddle with cases and disks. He carried two white remotes over to the couch and handed one to Tim. 

“What are we playing?” Tim asked. 

Jason grinned. “Mario Kart.” 

The screen lit up with the start menu and Jason quickly flicked through the settings, queuing their game before Tim could even read the words on the screen. 

“Go ahead and pick your character. You’re the blue box,” Jason explained. 

Tim nodded and scrolled through the characters until he settled on a green dragon looking thing. 

“Yoshi, nice,” Jason commented. 

The screen changed and Jason flicked through different pictures of race tracks before clicking one. 

“So, you’re going to hold the remote sideways, like that,” Jason said, showing Tim his own hands. “You press the ‘2′ button to go and tilt the remote back and forth to change direction, got it?” 

“I think so,” Tim said, uncertainly. 

“You’ll get the hang of it,” Jason said, popping an oreo into his mouth as the stoplight on the screen started to count down. Tim bit his lip as the race started and he belatedly pressed the button to make his character move, leaving him in last place. 

Jason leaned forward, eyes intent on the screen. He’d easily pulled ahead of all the other characters. Tim fumbled the first turn, jerking his remote too far to the left. He struggled to get back on course and kept going, intent on making it through the course without letting it get the best of him. 

Tim fought to keep his eyes on his own character, wanting to watch Jason expertly drive around the course and use the shining mystery blocks to throw weapons and attacks at the other drivers who tried to pass him or make him fumble. Tim ran over more than one banana peel because of it. 

The other characters were halfway done with their third lap when Tim was starting his. He hit a mystery block and blinked when a blue shell started spinning around him. He frowned and released it. 

“No, Tim, no, no, no!” Jason said as he watched what happened. 

“What?” Tim asked. “What did I do?” 

“Shit, shit, shit,” Jason cursed. “Come on, come on…” 

Tim watched as the blue shell he’d fired showed up behind Jason and hit him, causing him to stop dead a few feet from the finish. A few players streaked passed and claimed the first few places while Jason fought to get his character moving again. 

Tim laughed, sinking back into the couch cushions. Jason glared at him when he crossed the finish line and Tim couldn’t care less that the game ended before he could get to the end. 

“You think you’re funny, don’t you?” Jason asked. 

Tim grinned. 

“If that’s how it’s going to be, let’s see how well you handle Rainbow Road,” he muttered, flicking through the race tracks. 

Tim chuckled, not caring if he was going to end up coming in last place again because he was having a great time watching Jason give this game his entire focus.


	11. Chapter 11

Tim stared in the mirror. He dragged his eyes from his reflection and stared down at his chest, dragging the tip of his finger across the line of white and the ridge that marked his skin. He shivered. The feeling of shock and unease that had taken over him when he’d seen Jason’s scars returned. 

He flattened his palm against his stomach before snatching it away, almost as though the reminders of injuries or burns physically burned him. And maybe it did when he had no idea what fights or injuries they came from. 

Tim wrapped his arms around himself and hurried from the bathroom. He pulled open the doors of his closet and reached for the black hoodie that was hanging up. He pulled it over his head, having to turn it around when he realized he’d accidentally put it on backwards. 

He felt calm now that he had the warm fabric around him, almost as though it was acting as a safety blanket. He pulled the ends of the sleeves over his hands and held them against his chest, hoping to drive out the thoughts and unease over the scars. He almost wanted to go to Jason about it, but it was late and Jason would no doubt get annoyed with him if he disturbed him again. 

Tim bit his lip and looked around the room that was becoming more familiar the more time he spent in it. He shuffled over to the door and pulled it open far enough to peer into the hallway. It was empty and he heard no other signs of life from the other rooms. He shifted his weight from foot to foot before he finally slipped out of his room and turned towards the stairs, intent on going to the entertainment room. 

If anything, he could put on some lighthearted movie and stare mindlessly at the T.V. until morning when everyone else woke up.

He slipped into the dark room and turned on one of the lamps to shed some muted light that wouldn’t affect the T.V. too much. He pulled open the doors of the cabinet housing the movies and scanned the numerous titles that had been shoved inside. 

He pulled out a case that had a woman on the front holding a locket. Below her she was pictured wearing a blue dress and standing next to another man. It looked like a cartoon and he didn’t think it could be too heartbreaking for an animated film. 

“Tim?” 

He froze and looked up, finding Jason standing in the doorway. “Um…hi,” he said. 

“What are you doing up? I thought you would’ve been asleep by now,” he said, stepping into the room. 

“I couldn’t sleep.” 

Jason smiled. “Me neither, actually. Whatcha got there?” 

Tim looked down at the case in his hands and held it out to Jason. 

“ _Anastasia_ , huh?” he asked with a wry smile. 

“It looked good.” 

“Irony aside, I think it’s a good choice,” Jason said. 

“What do you mean, irony aside?” Tim asked. 

Jason ran his fingers through Tim’s hair as he stepped past. “You grab a seat and you’ll find out.” 

He scratched the back of his head and hurried over to the couch. He sat and crossed his legs on the cushion as Jason loaded the disc. He joined him on the couch, sitting close enough their shoulders almost touched. 

“You saw your scars didn’t you?” Jason asked as he hit play. 

Tim fidgeted with his sleeves. “How did you know?” 

“The hoodie.” 

“Oh,” Tim said, feeling his face heat up. “Why couldn’t you sleep?” 

Jason sighed and Tim didn’t think he was going to answer. 

“Nightmares,” he said almost soft enough that Tim would’ve missed it. 

“You have nightmares?” Tim asked. 

“Yeah…” Jason sighed. 

Tim hesitated a moment before he moved a couple inches to the right so he was closer to Jason. He wrapped his arms around Jason’s arm and rested his head on his shoulder. 

“I’m sorry,” he murmured. 

Jason shrugged underneath him and rested his head on top of Tim’s. 

Tim realized what Jason had meant about irony before they even made it ten minutes into the film. 

“I can’t believe I picked a movie where the main character has amnesia,” he mumbled behind the hands pressed to his face. 

Jason chuckled next to him. “I think it’s cute really,” he said, tugging on Tim’s arms. 

“It’s not cute, it’s embarrassing.” 

“Come onnnnn, Tim,” he said, wrapping his arms around Tim’s stomach. “You’re going to miss all of the good parts.” 

Tim squirmed in his hold. “Let go.” 

“Not a chance,” Jason said. He dug his fingers into Tim’s side, making him yelp. 

“No, Jason!” he protested, wiggling in his hold as Jason tickled him. His sounds of protest turned to giggles as the tickling got worse. Tim kicked up his legs and bucked in Jason’s hold. The movement was enough that it upset Jason’s balance where he was perched sideways on the couch and they crashed to the floor. 

Jason didn’t relent and Tim squirmed again, his fist accidentally sinking into Jason’s side. Tim froze as Jason wheezed and coughed. 

“Oh, shit,” Tim said, rolling onto his back on the floor. “Sorry, I didn’t-oof.” 

Jason let his hands go out from underneath him, not bothering to hold himself up anymore so he was laying on top of Tim. 

Tim stilled. Their close proximity was different from when they were sparring or sitting on the couch. It made Tim’s mouth go dry and he swallowed, feeling blood rush to his face. 

“You’re gonna squish me,” Tim said, voice sounding funny to his own ears. 

Jason planted his hands next to his head and pushed himself up so he was staring down at Tim. 

“That’s what you get for punching me in the side,” Jason said, raising an eyebrow and looking far too composed when Tim was ready to come apart at the seams. He grinned and sat back on his heels. “Come on, let’s get back to the movie.” 

Tim let himself get pulled back to his feet and fought to get his heartbeat to slow down. It didn’t help that when they settled back on the couch, Jason tucked him against his side and wrapped an arm around his shoulders.


	12. Chapter 12

Tim tilted his head back and smiled, feeling the wind ruffle his hair as the sun warmed his cheeks in the afternoon light. He heard the door open behind him and stiffened. He relaxed when he looked over his shoulder and found Jason walking over to him. 

Jason sat down next to him on the steps with a heavy sigh. 

“What’s up?” Tim asked. 

Jason looked at him out of the corner of his eye. “I have to patrol tonight. It’s been too long since I hit the streets.” 

Tim swallowed. He’d forgotten that was something that Jason did. He was so used to seeing him whenever he wanted around the Manor. He never seemed to be too far away. “Oh.” 

“So…” Jason continued. “Hopefully to make you forgive me for leaving you alone, I thought we could go out and get some ice cream.” 

“Ice cream?” Tim asked, tilting his head to the side. 

Jason grinned and chuckled. “You remind me of a little kid, I swear,” he said, ruffling Tim’s hair. 

“I’m not a kid,” Tim said with a pout. 

“No, you’re just a big scary vigilante, right?” Jason asked, unable to keep the grin from his face. 

“You’re the scary vigilante,” he muttered. 

“And I’m going to take that as a compliment,” Jason said, standing up. “Now come on, let’s head to the shop before it gets too crowded.” 

He held out his hand and Tim placed his fingers in his palm, getting pulled to his feet. 

“Come on,” Jason said, tugging him inside and down to the Cave, all the while keeping a grasp on his hand. 

Tim ducked his head to hide the small smile that pulled at his lips. Jason swung a leg over his bike and Tim climbed on behind him, wrapping his arms tightly around his waist before they left the Garage behind and headed towards the streets of Gotham. 

The ride was a quick one and Jason parked a block down from a small parlor that had a crowd of people outside the door. 

“Ah, damn,” Jason sighed. “Looks like everyone had the same idea.” 

“Just how popular is this place, anyway?” Tim asked as they pushed through the door and immediately ran into the end of the line in the small parlor. 

Jason awkwardly shut the door behind his back to keep the cool air from escaping. “It’s one of the best places in Gotham,” he explained. “Great for ice cream all year round, but most popular during summer of course.” 

“I can see that,” Tim said with a raised eyebrow. 

“Hey, don’t get smart with me,” Jason said, throwing an arm around his neck. 

“Hey, Jason!” Tim protested, pulling at the arm around him. He looked up and saw the people in front of them had turned and were watching with amused smiles. He flushed and dropped his hands from Jason’s arm which moved from his neck and draped over his shoulder. 

He glanced down at where Jason’s hand was hanging limp in the air. He could almost see himself reaching up and taking hold of his hand. He wouldn’t do anything, just hold it there as they waited in line. 

He cleared his throat, feeling like everyone around him knew what he was thinking. Jason stepped forward as the line moved, taking Tim with him and he ducked his head, biting his lip. 

The wait was long and every time a person walked by with their ice cream, Tim admired the large scoops of soft serve that were nestled into waffle cones.When they were close enough to the counter to see all of the different types of ice cream in the freezer, Tim gaped, unsure how he was ever going to decide what to get. 

“Feeling overwhelmed by all the choices?” Jason asked. 

He nodded. “I don’t even know what to get.” 

“Do you trust me?” 

“I-what?” Tim asked, looking up at Jason. 

“Do you trust me?” he asked with a grin. 

“I…yeah, I guess.” 

“Then let me order for you.” 

“Um…okay.” 

Jason flashed a smile to the cashier when they stepped up to the front of the line. His arm dropped from Tim’s shoulders so he could handle his wallet and Tim found himself missing the warmth from it. “Can I get two waffle cones with two scoops of cookies and cream?” he asked, pulling out a bill. 

The woman nodded and Jason handed her his cash before she could read out the total. 

“Keep the change,” he said, before she could count it out. 

“Thank you,” she said with a smile. 

Jason shoved his wallet back in his pocket and threw his arm back around Tim’s shoulders, walking him over to the opposite end of the counter where a few other people were waiting on their orders. 

Tim ducked his head to hide a smile. 

He was pulled out of his daze when an ice cream cone was shoved in his face. Tim stared at it with wide eyes at the two heaping scoops of ice cream. 

Jason chuckled. “Don’t look so surprised.” He licked a stripe from his ice cream, humming at the flavor. 

“I don’t know how I’m going to eat all this…” he muttered. 

“Less talking and more licking,” Jason said. “Anything you don’t eat, I will. But I don’t want to hear any excuses until you’ve had a bite.” 

Tim huffed and licked his lips before he licked the side of the top scoop. It was cold and refreshing, the flavor of the chocolate strong, but not overwhelming. He hummed and closed his eyes. 

“Well?” Jason asked. 

“This is amazing,” he said, taking another lick.

Jason grinned and turned back to his own ice cream. They side-stepped back out the door and onto the crowded sidewalk, finding a small opening against the brick of the building to eat their ice cream. 

Tim ate happily, almost forgetting that Jason would be hitting the streets again that night. He could worry about that later. He only cared about the time he was getting to spend in that moment.


	13. Chapter 13

Tim had his legs pulled up to his chest. He was sitting on his bed and looking out the window at the dark clouds that covered the sky. The forecast projected rain, well, more than rain. A whole storm was coming through and it made Tim uneasy. Especially when he knew that Jason was going to be patrolling in the midst of it. 

A knock sounded on his door and he looked over his shoulder to find Jason in the doorway. He was wearing dark cargo pants and had a bulky leather jacket on. “Hey,” he said, stepping inside. 

“Hey,” Tim said. 

“I was just getting ready to head out on patrol,” he said. 

Tim tightened the hold he had on his legs. “Oh.” 

“I’ll be back soon. You won’t even notice I’ll be gone,” Jason said. 

Tim shrugged. “I dunno. The weather looks bad. Storms are supposed to be coming.” 

Jason cleared his throat and closed the distance between them. He ruffled Tim’s hair. “I’ll be fine. This won’t be my first time out in the rain. If you want, you can sit down in the Cave with Alfred and watch the cams.” 

Tim nodded. 

“Come on,” Jason said with a smile. He held out a hand and Tim took it in his own. 

Jason pulled him from the bed and they headed for the stairs. Jason threw his arm around Tim’s shoulders, drawing a smile from him even as his sense of foreboding lingered on. 

Batman was already suited up and inputting some information on his wrist computer. Robin was standing next to the Batmobile, looking impatient. 

“Here, Alfred,” Jason said, sitting Tim in the available seat next to him. “I brought an assistant for tonight.” 

“Ah, Master Timothy,” he greeted with a smile. “It’s nice for you to join me this evening.” 

“Yeah, thanks Alfred,” he said. 

Jason patted Tim on the shoulder. “I should get going.” He walked over to a table and picked up his red helmet, slipping it on his head. 

Tim watched him walk over to one of the motorcycles. He threw a leg over it and revved the engine, peeling out of the Cave.

Alfred typed something into the Computer and a few visuals of street security cams and the police scanner. 

“You hear me, Al?” 

Tim jerked when Jason’s voice came through the speakers. 

“Loud and clear, Red Hood,” Alfred said, giving Tim a smile. “And Master Timothy can hear you as well.” 

Tire wheels screeched across the floor and Tim turned to watch the back of the BatMobile leave the Cave. 

“Hey,” he said. 

“Hey, Tim,” he said and Tim could hear the smile in his voice. 

Tim pulled his legs up on the chair with him. “It’s not raining yet, is it?” 

“Not yet. The streets are still dry.” 

“Good,” Tim said. 

“You got anything for me, Al?” Jason asked. 

“Not yet, but I’ll let you know if your assistance is needed anywhere. For now, stick to your usual patrol.” 

“Copy that,” Jason said. 

~~ 

Tim had his head pillowed on his arms. He was blearily staring at the screen and had exchanged words every now and then with Jason over the comms. 

Gunfire broke through the speakers and Tim jolted upright. Alfred jumped into action. 

“Red Hood what is your status?” he asked. 

Jason’s ragged breathing sounded through the comms. “Was set to bust a drug run for one of the gangs. Rain concealed a tail on my back.” 

“I’m sending an alert to the other vigilantes to offer assistance,” Alfred said. 

Tim’s heart rate picked up as he watched Alfred typing something out. His stomach tightened, uneasy at the idea of Jason being stuck in the rain with an injury and at the mercy of whoever had shot him. 

“Tap into my GPS,” Jason said. “I’m going to keep moving.” 

“Of course,” Alfred said. 

Tim wrapped his arms around himself. Jason’s breathing was no longer silent. He didn’t know where he was and had no way to get to him. And he was hurt. Tim couldn’t do anything. He was helpless.

“Batman is two minutes from your location,” Alfred continued, indifferent to what was going through Tim’s head. 

“Ah, not him,” Jason muttered. 

“I don’t think you have much of an option to be picky right now,” Alfred chastised. 

Jason’s sigh was sarcastic and long-suffering. Tim was amazed he was even able to joke at a time like this. Jason grunted over the line and Tim looked up. 

“Jason?” he asked, voice tight as the words slipped out of his mouth. 

“Shit,” he cursed. “Batman’s here and he’s getting me back. I forgot you were listening Tim.” 

“Names,” he heard muffled in the background. 

“ETA to the Cave?” Alfred asked. 

“10 minutes,” Bruce answered. 

Tim nibbled at the edge of his thumbnail. Alfred pulled up several different traffic cameras, tracking the car’s progress through the streets. Tim watching the clock, each minute felt like an eternity. 

He heard the screech of wheels and the roar of an engine a minute before Bruce had timed their arrival. Tim stood from his chair but Alfred was already rushing past him to the medical table. 

Bruce rushed around the side of the car and pulled Jason from it, his arm around his shoulders. They walked over to the medical table. Jason had a hand pressed to his side and Tim could see something wet against the dark material of his uniform. He groaned and hissed when he was laid down. 

Tim’s feet stumbled, wanting to get closer despite Jason’s injury. His heart squeezed in his chest and his stomach turned. 

“Jay…” he said, staring at the bloody skin as his uniform was removed. 

“Get out, TIm,” he groaned. 

“What?” he asked, looking up at his face. 

Jason met his eyes. “I don’t want you to see this, Tim. Go upstairs.” 

Tim’s stomach sank and he took a step back, giving one last look at Jason’s wound before he turned on his heel and rushed from the room and upstairs to his room. He shut the door behind him and crawled onto his bed, curling up in the corner. The shadows lit up as lightning flashed outside and Tim buried his face in his knees. _  
_


	14. Chapter 14

A knock sounded on his door and Tim curled tighter into his corner. 

“Tim? Can I come in?” Jason asked through the wood. 

Tim pulled his blanket around his shoulders and didn’t say anything. 

He heard a sigh through the door before it was pushed open. “I’m coming in,” he said. 

The bed dipped behind him and Tim turned further into the wall. 

“Look,” Jason sighed. “I’m sorry about earlier. I just…I really didn’t want you to have to see that. It wasn’t pretty and I know how much the scars freaked you out. I didn’t want you to have bad memories of seeing me get stitches.” 

Tim turned his head, looking at Jason out of the corner of his eye. He had a loose tee on, but still had a hand against his side. 

Jason gave him a smile. “I’m sorry I worried you.” 

Tim gripped the edges of the blanket around his shoulder and looked down at his knees. He thought for a moment before he unfurled from his position and moved closer to Jason. He rested his head against Jason’s shoulder and Jason wrapped an arm around his shoulders in a gentle hug. 

“I was so scared,” Tim murmured. “You were out there, injured and bleeding and I couldn’t do anything but sit and wait. I didn’t know how bad you were or if you were going to end up dead while I listened.” 

“I’m not going to die, Tim. I’m going to stay around as long as I can, I promise.” 

Jason cupped the side of his face and coaxed him away from his shoulder. Tim stared up at Jason and he smiled, rubbing his thumb across his cheek. Tim swallowed, gripping tightly at the blanket around his shoulders. 

His stomach fluttered. Relief flooded through him and he realized just how happy he was that Jason was alive and okay and had only needed stitches after being injured. He licked his lips and watched Jason’s eyes drop to catch the motion. 

Tim swallowed again, throat going dry. He leaned into Jason’s hand and pressed forward. Jason’s eyes widened and his lips parted before Tim covered them with his own. Jason was stiff for a moment before he pressed back against him. His hand slid to the back of Tim’s neck and he tilted his head down, deepening the kiss. 

Tim cupped Jason’s cheek with his hand as they continued to kiss. 

Jason pulled away and sucked in a breath before letting it out in a sigh. He leaned their foreheads together. His eyes fluttered open and Tim stared into their blue-green depths. He grinned and bit his lip, feeling giddy, happy, even more relieved than he had when Jason made it back to the Cave alive. 

“Are you sure about this, Tim?” Jason asked. “Is this what you want?” 

Tim nodded. “This is everything I want.” 

“Even more than your memories back?”

“Right now….here with you, it’s like I’m not missing anything. The only memories I want are the ones I can make with you.” 

“Fuck,” Jason hissed, eyes sliding shut. “How can I say no to that?” 

“So you’ll be with me?” 

“Of course I’ll fucking be with you,” Jason said. “I’ll stay by your side until the world ends.” 

A moment of silence fell between them. 

“Will you stay?” Tim asked, voice a low whisper. 

“Stay?” Jason asked, forehead furrowing. 

Tim bit his lip, gaze dropping. “Will you stay here with me? At least for tonight?” 

Jason’s confusion cleared and he smiled. “Gladly.” 

Tim bit his lip harder, fighting against the grin that still shone through. 

“Come on,” Jason said, standing up. “We should get to sleep. It’s been a long night and I’m exhausted.”

Tim nodded and pulled the blanket from around his shoulders. He smoothed it down on the bed. 

“Do you mind if I take the right side so I can keep off my wound?” he asked. 

“Not at all,” Tim said, climbing in first. He pressed his back against the wall to give Jason plenty of room. 

Jason eased down on the bed, draping the blanket over his side as he faced Tim. He smiled and reached out, cupping Tim’s cheek again. He rubbed his thumb over the skin and Tim scooted closer, closing the little distance there was between them. 

Jason pressed their foreheads together, his eyes sliding shut as his thumb continued to draw invisible lines over Tim’s skin. 

Tim stared at him, heart thumping in his chest. His exhaustion had departed for the moment, leaving him with nothing but a flood of adrenaline and a sense he could conquer the world and do anything he wanted. 

He didn’t remember what his relationship had been with Jason before all of this happened, but he was glad this was where they were now. He wanted nothing more than to spend as much time with him as possible. 

Tim’s eyes slid shut. He placed his hand over Jason’s on his cheek. Jason turned his hand and linked their fingers together, resting their joined hands in the space between them. 

Tim smiled, letting himself drift off to sleep.


	15. Chapter 15

Tim sighed and opened his eyes. He was warm and when he came face to face with Jason in his bed, the happy and giddy feeling from the night before returned. He bit his lip, looking over Jason’s sleeping features. His lips were parted on gentle breaths and Tim was tempted to kiss them. 

He cupped Jason’s cheek and ran his thumb over Jason’s bottom lip. Jason’s brow furrowed and he pressed his lips together before he opened his eyes. 

“Morning,” Tim said, grin pulling at his lips. 

Jason smiled, immediately relaxing. “Morning,” he said, voice gravelly from sleep

Tim leaned forward, replacing his thumb with his lips. Jason hummed and pulled him against him. Tim laughed and pulled back, finding amusement in Jason’s eyes even as he pouted. 

“Get those lips back here,” Jason said. 

Tim grinned and leaned forward, wrapping his arm around Jason’s shoulders as their lips slid against each other. Jason’s hand slid along his lower back as they kissed, his hand gripping Tim’s hip as the hem of his shirt was pushed up. Jason rubbed his fingers along Tim’s scarred lower back. 

“I could stay here forever,” Jason said, pressing their foreheads together. 

“Then why don’t we?” Tim asked. 

Jason chuckled. “You wouldn’t mind staying in bed with me forever?” 

“As long as there’s oreos involved.” 

Jason cupped his face and leaned in until there was a breath of space between their lips. “A man after my own heart.” 

Tim breathed a laugh and closed the distance. 

A knock sounded on the door and Jason groaned, rolling onto his back to look over at the door. 

“Master Timothy?” Alfred called through the door. 

“Yes?” he asked, sitting up in bed. 

Alfred pushed the door open, stopping short when he saw Jason stretched out in Tim’s bed and Tim sitting next to him. He smiled at them. “If the two of you are hungry for breakfast, it’s waiting in the kitchen.” 

“Thanks, Alfred,“ Tim said. 

“Yeah, thanks Alfred,” Jason added, sitting up. “We’ll be down in a minute.” 

“Of course. And Master Jason, since you’re here, once you get done with breakfast it will be best to change the dressing on your wound.” 

Jason nodded. “Of course.” 

Alfred turned and walked out, shutting the door behind him. 

“Well, we better get downstairs,” Jason said, sitting up with a groan. He swung his legs off the bed and stood, careful not to pull at his side. Tim climbed off after him and Jason caught his hand, linking their fingers together before they headed out the door. 

Tim smiled, his happiness returning stronger than before, if it had even gone away. 

When they stepped through the door to the kitchen, Dick looked up from the table. His eyes widened at their linked hands and Tim cleared his throat, ducking his head at the attention. 

Jason pulled out a chair for him and took the one next to him. 

“Morning, Tim,” Dick hedged. 

Tim glanced up at him before scooping a spoonful of roasted potatoes onto his plate. “Morning,” he mumbled. 

“Everything okay?” Dick continued. 

Tim glanced at Jason who was staring at Dick. “Why wouldn’t it be?” he asked. 

“Oh, you know…” Dick said, clearing his throat. 

The door to the kitchen was pushed open again and Bruce walked in. Alfred held out a mug of coffee to him and he took it with a nod. 

“I’m glad you’re both here,” Bruce said, leaning against the counter. He looked at Jason and Tim, something shining in the back of his eyes. “I think I may have found an antidote for Tim’s amnesia.” 

Jason stiffened next to him. 

“We can administer it later today-” 

“No,” Jason said. 

Everyone looked over at him. 

“I mean,” Jason continued. “Let’s do it tonight. Before you go on patrol. I can monitor Tim since I can’t patrol right now.” 

Bruce gave Jason a curious look. “Okay,” he said slowly before walking out with a glance behind him. 

Tim looked at Jason, but he kept his gaze focused on his food. 

~~

“Come on, Tim.” 

“Where are you taking me?” he asked. He’d been more than a little confused by Jason’s behavior all day. He’d been clingy and pulled him against his side or in his lap at every opportunity, pressing kisses to the top of his head or his lips whenever he got the chance. 

Now, as Jason led him up through the floors of the Manor, he was bewildered by what they were going to do. 

“I don’t want to miss it,” Jason said, darting up the next set of steps. 

“Miss what?!” Tim asked, desperate to know what was going on. 

“This,” Jason breathed as Tim rounded the last corner. 

They were in a room on the top floor of the Manor. The floors were wooden and it hadn’t been used in a while if the sheets covering the furniture was anything to go by. But there was a set of double glass doors that revealed a balcony and, from what Tim could see, a view of the sun setting over the Gotham skyline. 

“Come on,” Jason said, catching his hand. He pulled Tim forward and through the doors until they were out on the balcony. 

“Woah,” Tim breathed stepping up to the balcony. He placed his hands on the railing, staring out over the buildings and the orange light that bounced off them from the setting sun. 

Jason wrapped his hands around Tim from behind, pressing his chest to his back. “I wanted you to see this,” he said, pressing a kiss to the side of Tim’s head. “I don’t know what’s going to happen if the antidote works and you get your memories back, but I wanted to share this with you.” 

“This is beautiful,” Tim said, staring out over the trees. 

Jason’s grip tightened around his stomach. 

“Is it really going to be that bad when things go back?” Tim asked. “What happened before? What happened between us?”

“I just…” Jason sighed. “I just don’t know if you’re going to want this when you remember,” he whispered. 

Tim turned in his grip, turned his back on the beautiful image Jason wanted to share with him, and looked into his eyes. “I can’t ever imagine a life where I wouldn’t want you,” he said, cradling Jason’s face in his hands. 

Jason let out a breath, his eyes sliding shut. Tim pressed up on his toes and brought their lips together. Jason’s grip tightened around him, lifting him of his feet in an effort to pull him closer. 

When they broke apart for a breath, Jason set him back on his feet. He pressed his hand over where Tim’s was on his cheek. 

“I hope you remember that later,” he whispered. 

Tim smiled. “I will. I promise.” 

Jason smiled and ducked his head for one last kiss. “Now, let’s watch the sunset.” 

He turned Tim in his grip, arms still tight around his waist. He rested his chin on Tim’s shoulder, pressing their heads together as they watched the sky continue to darken as the sun reached out to the horizon. 

If this was the last moment Jason could share with Tim like this, he was going to do everything in his power to make it worth enough to last him the rest of his life.


	16. Chapter 16

Jason held tightly to Tim’s hand as they walked down the steps into the Cave. Bruce was waiting next to the medical table with Alfred. He was dressed in his Batsuit minus the cowl. 

There was single vial of light blue liquid sitting on a tray. 

“Tim, if you’ll come have a seat,” Bruce said. 

Jason squeezed tighter to Tim’s hand and Tim looked up at him, offering a smile. “It’s going to be okay, I promise.” 

Jason nodded even as his stomach turned over uncomfortably. 

Tim released his hand and walked over, sitting on the medical table. Jason walked over after him, standing a few feet away as he chewed on his lip. 

“Here you are, Master Timothy,” Alfred said, holding out the vial. . 

Tim looked at it, taking it between slender fingers. “Cheers, I guess,” he said raising the vial. He swallowed and licked his lips, looking down into the glass. He sighed and tilted the vial back, pouring it down his throat in one go. He swallowed and grimaced at the taste. 

Jason watched as Tim continued to sit there. He took it as a good sign that Tim wasn’t screaming or crying or writhing in pain. Or running in the opposite direction from him. 

“Well?” Bruce asked. 

Tim shook his head. “I don’t feel anything. There’s no rush of memory or feeling or anything.” He placed a hand against his chest and stomach, almost as though he expected to start glowing. 

“I was certain I had it right,” Bruce grumbled. 

“Perhaps it’s not something that can be solved with a drink or elixir, Master Bruce,” Alfred said. “The best we can do is cross this off the list and continue working.” 

Bruce nodded. “I’ll get to work on another remedy in the morning after patrol,” he said, pulling his cowl over his head. 

“Of course, Master Bruce. Stay safe tonight,” Alfred said as he walked over to the Batmobile. 

“Always am, Alfred,” he said, looking back over his shoulder. 

“Now, Master Bruce,” Alfred started. “I thought I taught you better than to lie,” he said and shook his head. 

Bruce chuckled under his breath and climbed into the Batmobile. The door shut silently before he tore out of the Cave to hit the streets. 

“Well, Master Timothy, if you’re feeling alright, you’re free to go,” Alfred said, turning toward him with a smile. 

Tim nodded and hopped down from the table. “Thanks, Alfred.” 

Jason felt more than a little relieved and when Tim gave him a wide grin as he took his hand again, he didn’t think it was so bad if Tim didn’t get his memories back so soon. 

“See? You had nothing to worry about,” Tim said. 

Jason chuckled. “I don’t think this counts.” He ducked his head and pressed a kiss to Tim’s temple. 

Tim stifled a yawn. 

“You tired?” Jason asked. 

“A little bit,” he said with a lazy smile. 

“We can head upstairs if you want.” 

Tim nodded, eyelids drooping. He yawned again. “I didn’t realize I was so tired.” 

Jason chuckled. “Come on,” he said, squatting down. Climb on.” 

Tim smiled and wrapped his arms around Jason’s shoulders. Jason grabbed the backs of his thighs and stood, carrying Tim up the stairs. Tim hummed, feeling content and happy. 

“Your room or mine?” Jason asked as they reached the second floor. 

“Which bed is bigger?” Tim asked. 

“They’re the same.” 

“Mine, then,” Tim mumbled. 

“Don’t fall asleep on me,” Jason said, but Tim could hear his smile. 

He heard the sound of a door closing and opened his eyes to find them in his darkened room. Jason walked over to the bed and turned, squatting so Tim could sit on the edge of the bed. 

Tim let go of Jason and scooted back across the bed until he was next to the wall. Jason laid down next to him, brushing Tim’s hair out of his face with his fingers. He was smiling and Tim smiled back, as tired as he was. He caught Jason’s hand and linked their fingers together as his eyes slid shut. 

~~

Tim’s eyes snapped open and he froze, stopping himself from sucking in a harsh breath that would be sure to wake Jason up or alert him to something being off. 

His eyes searched the darkness and found Jason asleep next to him, their hands still linked together on the bed. 

He stared at Jason’s relaxed features, the small uptick of his lips at the corner, the freckles that dusted his nose and cheeks, and the soft strands of white that fell over his forehead. 

Jason was soft and loving and so many other things that he didn’t even know where to start naming to try and list them all. 

He ducked his head and pressed a kiss to the back of Jason’s hand, staying curled into his body. He wasn’t sure if he was going to be able to go back to sleep after waking up so abruptly. 

His heart was only just now starting to settle. 

Tim squeezed his eyes shut, wanting to keep the morning away for as long as possible.


	17. Chapter 17

Tim hummed under his breath as he fiddled with his camera case, pulling out the camera to inspect it. He heard the door open behind him and smiled. Arms wrapped around his stomach moments later. 

A kiss pressed to the side of his head. “What are you doing?” Jason mumbled against the side of his head. 

“I thought I’d give photography a try,” he said, turning in Jason’s arms. “It’s raining outside and maybe it would help me get my memories back.” 

Jason smiled, lips a little tight at the mention of his memories. “I guess no matter what happens you’re drawn to that.” 

“Go sit on the bed,” Tim said, pushing him towards it. 

Jason raised an eyebrow and backed towards Tim’s bed, sitting in the center against the headboard. Tim left the lamp lit on his desk as he clutched the camera between his hands and walked over to the bed. He sat down at the foot of his bed, legs crossed. 

He unscrewed the lens cap, listening to the rain patter outside against his window. He turned on the camera, trying to discreetly fiddle with the settings so the picture would come out. He raised the camera to his eye and looked through the viewfinder, finding Jason across from him. 

“So now I’m your subject?” Jason asked. 

“Of course. Who else am I going to photograph?” Tim said with a smile. “What better way to make memories than by taking pictures?” 

Jason smiled and huffed, eyes rolling and Tim snapped a couple pictures. Jason stared at him and Tim got lost in the soft light that shined on his skin from the lamp across the room. Tim stared, hands still as he peered through the viewfinder. 

He watched Jason move before hands lowered Tim’s camera so they could look at each other. Jason closed the distance, pressing a kiss to Tim’s lips. Tim set the camera in his lap and tangled his fingers in Jason’s hair, keeping him close so as not to break the kiss. 

Jason tugged at him, trying to pull him backward. Tim broke the kiss, moving his camera to the side out of his lap. Jason pulled him down onto the bed so they were laying on their sides. 

Jason smiled at him and kissed him again, an arm snaking around Tim’s waist. Tim hummed and slid closer, letting himself become lost in the taste of Jason. 

Tim got an idea and smiled into the kiss before he pulled away. Jason gave him a quizzical look but he shook his head and grinned. He sat up and snagged his camera that had been left at the foot of the bed. 

He checked to make sure it was on before he laid back down next to Jason. He held the camera above them, making sure to get the angle right. He turned his head and kissed Jason again. Jason wrapped his arm back around his waist. 

Tim almost forgot to take the picture, but his finger pressed down and the shutter clicked. 

“What was that for?” Jason asked, pulling away. 

“I just want to have as many pictures with you as possible,” he said. He wiggled in Jason’s hold so he was laying on his back. He turned his head and met Jason’s eyes. He smiled back and leaned their foreheads together, eyes sparkling. 

The shutter clicked again for another picture. 

Jason ducked his head for a kiss, but Tim grinned and turned his head, the kiss landing on his cheek as he pressed the button for another picture. 

“You little shit,” Jason chuckled. 

Tim laughed and Jason used the arm he still had around Tim’s waist to roll him over and onto his stomach. Tim smiled, using his arm to brace himself on the bed as Jason’s fingers rubbed into his back. 

Tim snapped another picture. 

“How many pictures are you going to take?” Jason asked, eyelids dropping. 

“I think I could go for a few hundred more,” he breathed. 

“Come on,” Jason said, prodding Tim off his stomach and onto his back. Jason sat up and leaned against the headboard. He pulled Tim between his legs so his back was resting against his chest. Jason’s arms rested around Tim’s waist, keeping him close. 

Jason perched his chin on Tim’s shoulder and Tim raised the camera, taking another picture. Jason turned his head and pressed a kiss to Tim’s cheek. Tim’s eyes slid shut in happiness as a grin pulled at his lips. The shutter clicked again. 

~~

Tim was curled into the corner of his bed with a blanket wrapped around his shoulders. Jason had gone to fetch them something to eat and he’d taken the chance to go through the pictures on his camera. 

Most of them were pretty good. The settings capturing the scenes with success despite the low lighting. 

He was most surprised by how happy they looked and he couldn’t stop smiling. His two favorite pictures were the one where he was laying on Jason’s stomach, his hair hanging around his face and framing his cheeks as he smiled softly at Jason, and the one where Jason was wrapped around him from behind, pressing a kiss to his cheek, his eyes crinkled shut as a grin pulled at his lips.  

“Tim?” 

He looked up and grinned, exiting out of the pictures as Jason walked back into the room with a tray of food. Tim raised the viewfinder to his eye and took another picture. 

Jason huffed, but the corner of his lips ticked up anyway.


	18. Chapter 18

Tim smiled as he walked through the hall of the Manor. It was earlier in the morning and he was in desperate need of some coffee even though he’d gotten plenty of sleep the night before. 

Jason was still sleeping, snores soft in the early morning light as his face somehow still looked attractive even though it was pressed into the pillow. His injury was healing nicely and Tim knew he’d be going back out on patrol soon. 

Tim pushed through the door to the kitchen and found Alfred hard at work preparing breakfast. He looked up at his entrance. 

“Ah, Master Timothy,” he greeted with a smile. “How are you this morning?” 

“I’m good, Alfred,” Tim said. “I was hoping to get some coffee?” 

Alfred nodded and immediately reached for a mug from the cabinet. “Of course. The pot just finished brewing. Would you like something to eat as well?” he asked, setting the mug in front of Tim who sat on one of the stools at the counter. 

“Not right now,” he said. “I’m fine with the coffee.” 

Alfred smiled and slipped two oven mitts on. “Are you sure I can’t entice you with some freshly baked muffins?” he asked, pulling a tray of golden topped chocolate chip muffins from the oven. 

Tim bit his lip. “You know…I think you just might be able to.” 

“Wonderful, Master Timothy.” Alfred picked the muffins out of the tray to cool on the rack, setting two on a plate with a fork for Tim. 

Tim licked his lips and pulled the paper off the sides of the muffins. He broke off a bite with his fork, watching steam rise from the soft and fluffy cake as melted chocolate slid down the side. He smiled and took the muffin piece between his teeth, sighing at the sweet taste and the melted chocolate. 

“These are delicious, Alfred,” he said. 

“Thank you, Master Timothy,” he said. “Perhaps you can convince the rest of the family to have some as well.” 

Tim chuckled and turned back to his food, practically inhaling the muffins on his plate. 

The door to the kitchen was pushed open and Tim froze as Bruce walked inside. 

“Your coffee, Master Bruce,” Alfred said, holding out a mug for him. 

“Thank you, Alfred,” he said, taking a long sip. He looked over Tim who ducked his head and focused on the food in front of him. “Tim, I think I have another possible solution to your amnesia. I’m still working out some kinks but I think I might have it ready to test tonight.” 

“Um, sure,” Tim said, clearing his throat. “Test it before your patrol?” he asked. 

“Yes, that would be best.” 

Tim nodded, stuffing the last of the muffin into his mouth. He washed it down with the rest of his coffee and Alfred was already taking his dirty dishes before he even got out of his chair. 

“Thank you, Alfred. If you’ll excuse me,” he said. 

“Of course, Master Timothy,” he said with a nod as Tim made his exit. 

Tim kept his cool as he walked from the room and approached the stairs. He chanced a glance over his shoulder when he reached the steps and was relieved when he was alone. He sprinted up the stairs and to his bedroom, pushing through the door. 

Jason was still lying on his bed and Tim hurried over, jumping onto the bed, making Jason groan. 

“Tim?” he asked, voice groggy. He blinked his eyes open, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “What are you doing?” 

“Let’s go somewhere.” 

“What do you mean?” he asked, propping himself up on his elbows now that he was coming back to himself. 

“Let’s go somewhere,” Tim said, feeling a little breathless. “Do something. I don’t care what I just want to be with you.” 

Jason stared at him. “Tim, what’s going on? What’s this all of the sudden?” 

Tim surged forward, meeting his lips for a sloppy kiss. 

Jason’s fingers tangled into his hair, kissing Tim back before he pulled away, breathless. 

“Can we go?” Tim asked. “Please?” 

Jason stared at him for a moment before he nodded. Tim grinned, bright and open and happy, and the sight stole the last bit of Jason’s breath he had left.


	19. Chapter 19

“So, where to?” Jason asked as Tim climbed behind him on the motorcycle and wrapped his arms tightly around him.

Tim shrugged. “Dunno. The beach? The pier? Anywhere with you is good enough for me.”

Jason looked over his shoulder and Tim saw his soft smile. He returned it with one of his own before he snapped the visor on his helmet shut. The bike roared to life underneath them and Tim inched closer, closing the last bit of distance between their bodies.

Jason revved the engine once before they peeled out of the garage, shooting down the Manor drive and through the open gates. Tim felt some of his anxiety ease now that the Manor was falling out of sight. The pressure on his chest was disappearing now that it was just him and Jason and whatever they wanted to do.

They wove through the traffic of Gotham, Jason slowing their speed slightly so they could enjoy the rush of passing the crowds and the buildings. They could’ve bypassed downtown entirely, but Tim suspected Jason was taking the route to experience the scenic feel of the city. It made his chest warm.

Jason slowed further as they shot out between the buildings and onto the long stretch that led to the pier. The ferris wheel was turning slowly in the late morning light and Tim could hear wisps of laughter and cheer that caught on the wind.

Jason rolled around the curve into the parking lot that was half-filled with cars. He shut off the bike and Tim climbed off, handing his helmet to Jason who stowed them underneath the seat of the bike.

Tim caught Jason’s hand as they picked their way across the street and started the short walk to the base of the artificial outcropping. Jason squeezed his hand and moved closer, their shoulders brushing every now and then as they walked.

“What do you want to do first?” Jason asked as they hit the wooden boards. “Food? Games? The ferris wheel?” he asked with a sly grin.

Tim hummed and looked up at him, eyes sparkling. “I think we can save the ferris wheel until later. It _is_ the most romantic spot after all.”

“Romantic enough to give me a kiss.”

Tim grinned and grabbed the collar of Jason’s shirt in his fists, dragging him down to press their lips together in a slow kiss. Jason’s eyes stayed shut when he pulled back.

“You don’t need to get me on a ferris wheel to do that,” he said.

Jason hummed and rested his hands on Tim’s hips, fingers tracing slow circles in his lower back. “Maybe not, but let’s see how many more times I can get you to kiss me.”

“Win me a bear at one of the game stalls and I’ll give you as many as you want.”

Jason grinned, looking a little wicked. “I get to pick the game?” he asked.

Tim’s grin was just as wicked. “Of course. I’d want to maximize your chances of winning after all.”

Jason chuckled and dragged Tim by the hand along behind him. His eyes roved over the different stalls, looking for one that matched his skill set. He settled on a shooter game and Tim had to suppress a smile.

“Six dollars for a round,” the bored attendant said.

Jason pulled the bills from his wallet and smacked them down on the table. Tim wrapped his arms around Jason from behind and watched as he was handed one of the toy guns.

“You have five rounds. Get as many points as you can. The more points you get, the bigger the prize,” the worker droned. “You hit the Joker, that’s an automatic win.”

The worker pressed a button and the display lit up, small metal figures spinning and jerking along the belt. Tim immediately spotted the Joker’s fake head. It was smaller than the rest, movements more erratic.

“Always did want to shoot the Joker,” Jason murmured under his breath.

Tim chuckled. “Then don’t waste it.”

“You got it, babe,” Jason said. He tracked the Joker’s path for a few seconds before lining up his shot. He fired all five of his pellets at once, following the minute changes in motion and distance. They collided with the head and sent it reeling backwards, causing the machine to shut off with the sound of an erratic alarm.

“Your pick of the prizes,” the worker said, not sounding the least bit impressed.

Jason hummed and pointed to a bear that looked eerily familiar. “That one,” he said.

The worker sighed and pulled the Red Hood bear down from the display, handing it off to Jason. He turned with a grin and brandished it for Tim who giggled.

“Do I get that kiss now or later?”

Tim smirked and wound his arms around Jason’s shoulders, pulling him down even as it crushed the bear awkwardly between them.


	20. Chapter 20

Tim licked the powdered sugar from his fingers as he chewed the last bite of funnel cake from the plate between them. He sighed and leaned against Jason where he was sitting next to him on top of the picnic table.

Jason wrapped his arm around Tim’s waist and pulled him tighter against his side. Evening was quickly approaching, the sky already turning a light shade of pink as the sun grasped for the horizon.

Tim was content, happy. He didn’t want this day to end and tried to stifle the yawn by smacking a hand over his mouth.

Jason chuckled. “Tired?” he asked, nuzzling the side of his head.

“No,” Tim said pointedly.

“Come on,” he said, climbing down off the bench. “We should head back anyway. It’s getting late.”

“But we haven’t even gotten to ride the ferris wheel yet,” Tim said, trying to fight down the panic at the thought of Jason dragging him back to the Manor.

Jason grinned and took Tim’s hand, pulling him off the picnic table. He stuffed the bear under his arm. “I never said we weren’t going to ride the ferris wheel.” He threw an arm around Tim’s shoulders and walked towards the spinning wheel in the middle of the pier.

There wasn’t anyone else waiting in line and as soon as Jason paid for their tickets, they were ushered into one of the cars. Jason kept his arm snugly around Tim who gladly leaned into his side, soaking up the warmth as a slight chill dusted the air.

Tim shivered and burrowed closer to Jason.

“Should’ve brought a jacket,” Jason murmured, lips brushing the hair above his ear.

“Didn’t think I’d need one,” he answered. “Besides, I’ve got you here to help warm me up,” he said with a grin, leaning his head back against Jason’s arm to meet his eyes.

Jason smiled back and ducked his head, pressing their lips together gently. Tim slid his hand into Jason’s hair, keeping it there as they kissed and made their way to the top of the wheel.

Jason’s other arm draped across his waist and tugged, but the bar kept Tim in place. He was dimly aware that Jason was trying to pull him into his lap and he shivered, wishing he could move.

“Can we go back to your place?” Tim asked, breaking the kiss as they jolted to a stop, the car rocking at the top of the wheel.

Jason stared at him for a moment before his lips pulled into a wet grin, drawing another shiver from Tim.

“Yes,” he said, voice low as he closed the distance between them again, brushing warm lips against Tim’s.

The ride back down was long and torturous. Tim was about ready to pick the lock on the bar so he could jump out and scale down the side of the thing. But he waited, becoming ever more impatient the closer they got to the ground.

He wasn’t the only one though, Jason practically dragged him from the car as soon as the bar went up. Tim barely managed to snag the hand of the bear so they wouldn’t leave him behind.

Tim’s breath left him as Jason pulled him along, sprinting back towards the parking lot and his bike. Tim chuckled and Jason flashed him a grin, their feet pounding across the boards of the wooden ramp that led back to the road.

Jason slowed, wrapping an arm around Tim’s waist as they approached his bike. He pulled Tim snugly against him, gripping Tim’s hair to tilt his head back for a deep, soul-sucking kiss. Tim’s hands scrabbled at his shoulders, hoping to find something to hang onto and ground him as the bear fell from his hand.

“Ready?” Jason asked, cheeks flushed as they parted.

Tim nodded, grabbing the bear and climbing behind Jason onto the bike. He crushed the bear between their bodies and wrapped his arms around Jason’s waist, glad when they finally pulled out of the parking lot.

Jason’s driving to his apartment was far more aggressive than it had been on the way to the pier. They wove between cars and through the streets until they sped down the ramp into the underground parking garage of an apartment building.

Jason clawed at their helmets, forcing them back under the seat. “Fuck,” he cursed as he lost his grip on Tim’s helmet and it started to roll across the pavement.

Tim chuckled and reached for Jason when everything was put away. Jason pulled him into another deep kiss, smile pressed against his lips. Jason walked Tim backwards towards the elevator without pulling their lips apart, pressing the call button until it dinged and the doors slid open.

Jason pulled him inside, breaking their kiss when he couldn’t find the floor numbers from memory. Tim tightened his grip on the bear and draped himself over Jason as they rode up, staring into his eyes.

Jason grinned when they stopped and the doors opened. He pulled Tim from the car and walked down to his apartment, slipping his keys into the lock and shoving the door open.

Tim bit his lip when they stepped inside, Jason shutting and locking the door behind him. Jason grinned, hands engulfing Tim’s hips before he stiffened and whirled around.

Tim flinched at the sudden movement, eyes following Jason’s line of sight to the dark figure that was standing in the living room.

“Jesus fuck, what are you doing here?” Jason growled, stomping forward a handful of steps, hands clenched at his sides. “What the hell, B? You could’ve just called.”

“No, I couldn’t have. Not when Tim had agreed to test out the new antidote before my patrol and then disappeared with you.”

Tim felt himself pale, the bear slipping from his fingers to land on the floor with a muted thump.


	21. Chapter 21

Jason stilled and Tim’s heart kicked into overdrive, rapidly beating in his chest and he was sure everyone in the room could hear it. Jason turned to look at him. 

“Tim?” he asked. “Did you really agree to test out a new antidote?” 

Tim took a step back and glanced to the side. He mentally cursed himself because he knew Bruce and Jason both saw that. And he knew what he looked like. He was portraying all of the characteristics of a cornered animal that was ready to run. 

“So you didn’t know about this?” Bruce asked from his spot in the living room. 

“No,” Jason said, not pulling his gaze from Tim. “Tim?” 

“I-um-uh…” he bit his lip and backed up again, his elbow bumping against the door. His fingers twitched, wanting to reach for the doorknob. He wanted to run. He wanted to sprint across Gotham so he wouldn’t have to face this. 

_He was going to run._

Tim whirled, hand barely making it to the lock before an arm wrapped around his waist and pulled him back. 

“Let me go,” he said, squirming in Jason’s hold. 

“I can’t Tim,” he said. “I can’t.” 

“No, Jason!” he protested. He had to go _now_. Any longer and Bruce would…

Bruce stepped into his vision, standing in front of the door. Tim stopped struggling and went limp in Jason’s arms as his breathing picked up. He pressed the heels of his palms against his eyes and rubbed, wondering where everything had gone so wrong. 

“Tim, explain,” Bruce demanded. 

He shook his head. 

“Tim,” Jason said, voice softer. “It’s okay. You can talk to me right?” he asked, tugging at one of his wrists. 

Tim let out a shuddering breath and curled in on himself. 

“Please, Tim,” he whispered. 

“I…” he started. “I can’t take the antidote.” 

“Why not?” Bruce immediately demanded. 

“I can’t take the antidote, because I…don’t need it,” he said softly. 

Jason stiffened behind him, his arm retracting from around his waist. He almost wanted to collapse now that he didn’t have that support anymore. He was going to lose everything. It was all over. 

“You have your memories back?” Jason asked. 

Tim nodded and bit his lip, feeling the pressure start to build behind his eyes. He pressed his palms in harder, hoping to keep the tears inside until he could make his escape. 

“When did it work?” Bruce asked. 

“It was a few hours after I took the first serum. I woke up in the middle of the night, heart pounding. I thought it was a dream at first because it was just a rush of images, but then they started to come together and it made sense and I realized they were mine.” 

“So all this time you were just pretending to still have amnesia?” Bruce asked, the displeasure thick in his voice. 

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. 

“We’ll talk about this later. At the Manor,” he said pointedly. “I have a patrol that I need to get to.” 

Tim didn’t bother looking up to see him go. He knew when him and Jason had been left alone again. 

“Tim?” Jason asked, voice soft and probing as he finally broke the silence between them. 

Tim sucked in a harsh breath at his tone and somehow that was enough for his tears to fall. He bit his lip to avoid choking on a sob as his tears wet the palms of his hands. He knew his shoulders were shaking, but couldn’t do anything to stop it. 

“Shh, Tim,” Jason said, wrapping an arm around him and pulling him against his chest. “It’s okay.” 

He shook his head. Unable to say anything. Or maybe he just didn’t know what to say. He didn’t know if Jason would be able to understand why he did it. He didn’t want anything between them to change. 

Jason sighed. “Come on, we have a lot to talk about,” he said, pulling Tim over to the couch.


	22. Chapter 22

Tim thought Jason would’ve sat him down on the couch and sat down on the coffee table across from him, keeping distance between them as he explained why he’d done what he’d done. 

Instead, Jason situated Tim against the armrest of the couch, his back pressed against it as Jason sat right next to him, pulling his legs over his lap and resting a warm palm on top of his thigh. 

Tim stared at his hand, sniffling when a few tears continued to slide down his cheeks. 

“Don’t cry, Tim,” Jason sighed, reaching up to wipe the tears away. 

Tim glanced up at him, but didn’t say anything. He wasn’t sure what he could say. He almost wanted to figure out what he could say to make him stay, but he knew that if he didn’t give Jason the truth now, then that would really ruin everything between them. 

“Why did you pretend the antidote didn’t work?” Jason finally asked. “You had plenty of opportunities, so why?” 

“I…I was afraid.” 

Jason stayed silent, waiting for him to explain. 

“I was worried that if you knew I had my memories back you’d push me away. That we wouldn’t be close anymore and we couldn’t do any of the things that I’d gotten so used to. I still like you, Jason. Even with…the rest,” he said, gesturing vaguely. 

Jason heaved a sigh and then, much to Tim’s surprise, started chuckling. He scrubbed a hand over his face. “We are quite the pair, aren’t we babe?” he asked, dropping his hand so he could meet Tim’s eyes. “I was afraid of the same thing happening. I figured that as soon as you remembered, you wouldn’t want to have anything to do with me.” 

Tim smiled. “We’re both idiots, aren’t we?” 

Jason held up his index and forefinger, barely a breath of space between them. “Just a little bit.” 

Tim laughed, feeling some of the weight lift off his shoulders, but there was still a lot of uncertainty heavy in his stomach. “So…” he started. 

Jason smiled and cupped the side of his face with his hand, thumb brushing over the soft skin now that the tears had dried. “I want to be with you, Tim,” he said. “I want as much time as you’re willing to give me.” 

Tim leaned forward and Jason met him halfway, their lips brushing together as Tim wrapped his arms around Jason’s neck. Jason’s hand dropped to his waist, wrapping around his back to keep Tim’s chest pressed against his side. 

Tim sighed and pressed their foreheads together after they’d shared several kisses. “I guess I’m going to have to go talk to Bruce now, aren’t I?” 

“Eh…” Jason said and shrugged. “It’s still early and he’s not going to leave patrol just yet. There’s no reason why we can’t just stay here.” 

Tim squawked when Jason’s legs moved underneath him and he was moved. Jason sat sideways, taking Tim’s spot against the armrest. He planted his feet on the couch cushions, creating a small ‘v’ between his thighs and stomach where Tim settled, most of his weight resting on Jason’s stomach while his legs were pressed against the couch cushions. 

“Besides, I kind of like having you like this. Makes me feel a lot less guilty about manhandling you now that I know I’m not taking advantage,” Jason grinned, fingers rubbing over Tim’s side. 

Tim grinned. “Well, I’m not afraid to admit that I was only being nice to you to get to the oreos.” 

Jason gasped. “I knew you only wanted me for my creme!” 

Tim chuckled, his fingers tangling in the hairs at the back of Jason’s neck. “Yeah, well I’m starting to think you only wanted me for my cuddles and kisses.” 

Jason hummed and leaned close, staring into Tim’s bright gaze. “I will admit that both of those things were a perk, but…” 

“But?” Tim prompted. 

Jason shook his head and kissed him instead.


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone for reading! I had a lot of fun working on this fic and I'm sad to see it come to an end. 
> 
> <3 MOLIM

Tim squeezed Jason’s hand in his own as they descended the steps to the Cave. His stomach was well on its way to tying itself into knots even though he’d been relaxing with Jason on his couch not ten minutes ago. 

Alfred was collecting dirty cups and plates from around the Computer as Bruce updated his documents. He didn’t turn around as they crossed the floor to him, but Alfred gave them both a nod as he passed. 

“Welcome back, Master Timothy,” Alfred said. 

“Thank you, Alfred,” he said, smiling sheepishly. 

“Timmy!” 

He chuckled when Dick popped into his vision and pulled him into a tight hug. 

“I heard you got your memories back,” he said, swinging him around. 

Tim hugged him back and smiled at Jason over his shoulder. “Yeah. I’m all good in the head again.” 

“Good because we have a lot to talk about,” he said, pulling back and holding Tim by his shoulders. 

Tim sighed. “I have a lot to talk about with you know who,” he said, glancing in Bruce’s direction. 

Dick made a face. “Good luck. He’s been even quieter than usual.” 

Tim sighed, his shoulders sagging. Dick patted him on the shoulders and gave him one last quick hug before he moved off to shower and change out of his uniform. 

Tim glanced at Bruce who was still tapping away at the computer. He looked over his shoulder at Jason and bit his lip. He shrugged and nodded, gesturing for Tim to go ahead. 

“Bruce?” he asked. 

He stopped typing and straightened, turning to face Tim. 

“I’m sorry about lying about not getting my memories back. I was afraid of what was going to happen when I did get them back,” he said, glancing back at Jason again. “And although my worries were unfounded it doesn’t excuse what I did.” 

Bruce closed the distance between them and placed a hand on Tim’s shoulder before he pulled him into a hug. “I may have…overreacted a little tonight but I’m glad you’re back on your feet.” 

Tim nodded and they separated. “At least now if anyone gets hit with what I did, you have an antidote at the ready,” he tried to joke. 

Bruce raised and eyebrow and Tim sighed. 

“Okay, too soon.” 

“Go get some rest. Tomorrow you can be back on patrol with the rest of us.” 

“Night, Bruce,” Tim said, walking back over to Jason. 

“Night boys,” he said absentmindedly, already going back to his files. 

Jason linked their fingers together and they climbed the stairs back to the study. 

“See? That wasn’t so bad,” Jason said as they walked through the halls towards their bedrooms. “You had nothing to worry about.” 

Tim chuckled and leaned into Jason’s side. “That didn’t make it any less terrifying.” 

“Well I think this calls for some good old fashioned cuddle time in bed with a package of oreos.” 

Tim grinned. “That sounds great to me.” 

Jason pressed a kiss to the side of his head and pulled him into his bedroom. He nudged Tim towards the bed while he dug around in the drawer of his desk. He pulled out a brand new package of oreos and climbed into bed next to Tim, leaning back against the headboard with Tim pressed against his side. 

Tim reached for the package, but Jason caught his hand. He raised an eyebrow and looked up at him, but Jason just smiled before he ducked his head to press a kiss to Tim’s lips. 

Tim grinned when they pulled away and snuggled into Jason’s side, resting his head on his shoulder as he grabbed a cookie to nibble on.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and Kudos are loved and appreciated!
> 
> You can find me on [Tumblr](my-one-love-is-music.tumblr.com) and [Twitter](twitter.com/m_o_l_i_m)


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